By Parker McKenzie
Thousands of local netballers will now have access to more indoor courts, with The Knox Regional Netball Centre officially opened after stage one of the redevelopment project was completed.
Stage one of the build includes two additional inside and air-conditioned courts, new change rooms and a function room, an observation deck, an extra 180 car parks and additional office spaces and a first aid room.
Knox City Council Mayor Marcia Timmers-Leitch said she was thrilled the first stage of the $15.6 million centre expansion is ready for play and to provide greater opportunities for increased participation.
“This expansion will meet future demand for the highest participation sport for females in Knox,” she said.
“Up to 6,000 players currently use the centre each week. In 2019, 180 games were cancelled due to poor weather.”
The centre is home to Mountain District Netball Association and teams in the Eastern Football and Netball League, with around 2,900 players using the facility.
After beginning construction in November 2021, the project had several delays because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The initial development of the concept for the redevelopment started in June 2019.
Cr Timmers-Leitch said when stage two is completed in July 2023, the number of indoor courts will be doubled to four, taking the total number of courts to 22.
“This will allow more games and training sessions to be held without being impacted by weather, and enable more night-time games,” she said.
“I’m excited that the Knox Regional Netball Centre will provide greater training capacity for 180 teams stretching from Knox to the Dandenongs, modernising our facilities and making us one of the biggest centres in Victoria.
Stage two of the project, the refurbishment of the existing stadium, is aimed to be completed by April 2023.
The project has been funded through a $4 million grant from the federal government, $5 million in funding from the state government’s Community Sports Infrastructure Stimulus Program and a $6.6 million council contribution.
The Knox Regional Netball Centre is located at 9 Dempster Street, Ferntree Gully.
